<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Kindred spirits are not so rare by serendipitous_rambles</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23417752">Kindred spirits are not so rare</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles'>serendipitous_rambles</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And a made up parallel of miss stacy and her husband to shirbert, F/M, I just really like the idea of miss stacy reacting to shirbert being canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:27:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,068</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23417752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne runs into a familiar face whilst out and about in Charlottetown.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>212</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kindred spirits are not so rare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Charlottetown seemed to come even more alive in April. Anne had been worried about missing out of the joys of spring being away in the city, but the streets were lined with flower sellers, people would be out taking a stroll in the first warm days of the year, even the small garden in her boarding house bloomed fresh with flowers and bees. It seems that joy could be found anywhere. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She decided to take a stroll herself into town, it certainly wasn't just an excuse to avoid being in the house when Ruby and Moody had their visits (hearing the laughter of young love became less romantic when one's own beau was over a thousand miles away…)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she was walking down the main street, a door just before her opened and a lady struggled out with her arms full. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, here let me help you." Anne quickly rushed to help the lady, but almost dropped the package when she saw who it was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Miss Stacy?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Anne! It's so wonderful to see you. Are you well?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, very. And you?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm doing just fine. Oh, no need to carry that for me." She reached for the package Anne had grabbed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What are you doing in Charlottetown?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I came to get this." She held up the package. "It's a microscope. I wanted to show my students about bacteria. But of course that's far from what Avonlea is used to. So I had to come all the way here to find one."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"That's so interesting. Gilbert and I were just discussing about how doctors are starting to look into bacteria and it's links to medicine. He wrote to me about some article he was reading." Anne didn't even think before mentioning Gilbert, he was such a prominent figure in her life now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm glad to hear you still keep in contact with your classmates. Perhaps we should schedule a class reunion when everyone is back for the summer. It's important to keep in touch with friends." Miss Stacy said, before smiling as she noticed the change in Anne's expression.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh well... Gilbert and I are...we…" Anne felt her cheeks flush. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn't really had to explain it to people yet, even though it had been months (almost 8 wonderful, unbelievable months). Matthew and Marilla had taken it so easily, already knowing her true feelings for Gilbert before even he did. Diana had seen the romantic display on that very first day; the other girls later revealing that they had huddled by the window after hearing Anne running down the stairs, only to catch the moment Gilbert had kissed Anne's hands one last time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone had already known. But Miss Stacy, her kindred spirit, was last to know. Maybe she should have written her a letter, or would that have been too presumptuous of her? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, I see." Miss Stacy smiled, leaning towards Anne to whisper in her ear, "I always had a feeling about you two."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"If only I figured it out sooner. We wouldn't have such little time together."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Toronto is awfully far away."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"The letters are nice, but I find myself missing him. Even the small things like just being in the same room even if we aren't talking. I never knew how much I needed his presence until it was no longer there."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I fully understand. My late husband was my best friend. You know we met at school?" Miss Stacy laughed fondly, thinking back to those days. "I was an obnoxious know it all but so was he. We used to fight over who was best in class. But then one day...we realised we were better as a team."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anne's eyes grew wide, "We're like the same person." She whispered in awe. "You truly are a kindred spirit."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I suppose I am. But I hope we're not </span>
  <em>
    <span>too </span>
  </em>
  <span>similar. I wish all the happiness for you two, and a much happier ending than I had."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, you must think me so rude." Anne put a hand across her mouth. Of course Miss Stacy would think her rude. She just reminded her of her tragical romance!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"No, it's alright. I've made my peace. And perhaps one day I'll find love again."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anne reached out a hand and touched Miss Stacy's shoulder. "I hope so too."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They walked a little way together through town, until Anne had to take a separate path.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's been such a wonderful surprise running into you Miss Stacy."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Muriel is fine. You're not my student any more." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I know. But it's such an old habit." Anne laughed, it took some getting used to, remembering that she was indeed an adult now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Perhaps I'll be in touch with everyone soon about a reunion. I'd love to see how everyone else is getting on. Perhaps even Gilbert will be available?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anne could feel her cheeks growing warm at the mention of Gilbert again. "He'll make time for you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, until then </span>
  <em>
    <span>Miss </span>
  </em>
  <span>Shirley Cuthbert." Miss Stacy smiled warmly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Until then." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anne watched her old teacher walk away until she was lost to the hustle and bustle of the town. She marched through town, almost at a run, to get back to her desk and to add another page to her (already 3 page) letter to Gilbert about Miss Stacy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her words from earlier echoing in Anne's ears "</span>
  <em>
    <span>he was my best friend". </span>
  </em>
  <span>She considered it, wondering if Gilbert was </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>best friend. Of course Diana was her bosom friend, and no one could replace her, but Gilbert was a different type of friend. She wanted to tell him everything and more, but she also felt butterflies when she was writing those thoughts down. Maybe she couldn't put a name to it, but she knew what they had was far greater than just a normal romance.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A few months later when they turned up arm in arm together at Miss Stacy's class reunion, nobody even blinked. There was almost a collective sigh of relief that finally they had figured out they were both hopelessly in love with each other. Miss Stacy smiled, trying to hold back a tear as she saw Anne and Gilbert together. In a weird way, it felt like she too had gotten her happy ending with her husband. Anne and Gilbert were like a second chance, and she hoped that this time the world would be kind to them.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>